Exploring Nevada's backroads by bicycle

Ride Report: Tahoe-Pyramid Bikway

“I don’t think you do. I think you forget between rides what I talk you into doing time after time,” I replied jokingly.

We just had a winter storm in the Sierras that dropped a few inches below 7,000′ and over a foot in the higher elevations. I thought we should try the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway from Verdi up as far as we could ride in the Truckee River Canyon. We started at the end of Quillici Ranch Rd at a turn-around frequented by fisherman testing their angling abilities in the trophy-trout section of the Truckee River.

A Truckee Meadows Water Authority truck with a snowplow blade came through as unpacked our bikes. The main etiquette for this section of the Bikeway is to yield to TMWA vehicles as well as check for closures on the TPB website do to construction or maintenance.

This was my first time on this portion of the Bikeway and what a great time to visit. Once we passed the Fleish power station we were on untracked snow save a handful of animal tracks. The trail is a combination of singletrack and fire road winding through the canyon, sometimes close to the river, such that the river’s rush is louder than the interstates noise, we crossed the river on a suspension bridge at the popular rock climbing area, River Rock, and the trail edged along Interstate 80, close enough to catch snow from the snowplows.

We turned around at the trails temporary end. Once this project is complete the Tahoe Pyramid Bikeway will significantly improve the quality of bicycle touring for the Reno Tahoe area.